A North Dakota Walk

Our son, daughter-in-law and family do not live in the immediate vicinity of Richland County’s wheat fields in southeastern North Dakota; but they are surrounded by other crops. Sometimes the fields overflow with corn. At other times sugar beets carpet the soil. This year soy beans can be seen on every side. 

A morning walk with JB gives her ample time to explore the luxurious maze of plants and, perhaps, allow the broad leaves to provide a kind of dry cleaning for her fur.

Beyond the bean fields, sunflowers welcome tomorrow’s arrival of August. In another week they will be a sea of brilliant yellow seasoned with dark green against the blue backdrop of a smiling sky.

This familiar walk eventually takes us into a little valley where a bridge crosses the meandering Wild Rice River. I never tire of the opportunity to pause in silence and think of the twisting bed which brings the water to the Red River of the North and then to Lake Winnepeg in Canada and, eventually, to the North Atlantic Ocean. I have never seen its wild side, but a couple years ago it completely covered the bridge on which I stand to take this picture today.

On our way back JB leads the way – occasionally checking to make sure I’m doing okay. 

She is back among the bean plants again when I pause to look toward Interstate 29 and notice some leaves are already turning in anticipation of the coming harvests of corn and beans, and, then, much later, the digging up of sugar beets. Once again God's ancient promise  continues to unfold.

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